KOLKATA: In a bid to ensure sufficient supply of non-conventional form of energy, the state government has taken steps to set up a 10MW solar power generation plant.
The solar power plant will come up at Salboni in West Midnapore. On Monday, the state Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee decided to give the necessary land to set up the plant. The state government will be giving a vested land of 41.11-acre of to West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company for the same.
Chandrima Bhattacharya, Minister of State for Health, said after the cabinet meeting at Nabanna on Monday: "It has been decided to give around 41.11-acre of vested land to WBSEDCL at Salboni to set up a 10-MW solar power plant."
This comes at a time when the state government has set a target of developing infrastructure for generating 300MW solar power by the end of 2019. It is learnt that the work to set up the solar power generation plant will begin as early as possible and steps will also be taken to complete the same within a particular time period.
The setting up of the plant is another step ahead of the state government to ensure more use of non-conventional form of energy.
It may be mentioned that the state government has taken several steps to promote the use of solar power in the past seven years. The state Power department has also planned to create infrastructure for floating solar power project.
The initiative has been taken up to set up the same at different power plants. The idea has been mooted as there are large water reservoirs in most of the power plants and it include Bakreswar thermal power plant.
There are many government offices including districts where solar power generating panels were installed on the terraces of buildings. There are many school buildings as well where solar power generation plants have been installed.
Solar trees have also been installed to ensure more generation by creating infrastructure even in a small area. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has named the project of setting up of solar trees as Sourashree. Interestingly, the solar trees need minimum maintenance and it is not that expensive to set up the same.
With the state government creating awareness about the use of solar power, many Durga Puja committees have opted for the same this year.